Hurricane‑season prep events
Local preparedness events for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season are already scheduled — WPBF meteorologists are running a free “Hurricane Ready” session and North Port will hold a Hurricane Expo on April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way (wpbf.com) (wgcu.org). Advisories in the briefing also recommend reviewing homeowners and flood insurance now as part of basic season prep (tallahassee.com).
Florida communities are starting hurricane-season prep weeks before the Atlantic season officially opens on June 1. (wpbf.com) (blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov) WPBF 25 said its First Warning Weather meteorologists are running free “Hurricane Ready” events in South Florida to help residents build storm plans before summer. The station updated its 2026 announcement on April 9. (wpbf.com) On Florida’s Gulf Coast, North Port is holding a free Hurricane Expo on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way. City material says residents can hear presentations from North Port Emergency Management, North Port Public Works, North Port Utilities, Sarasota County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service. (wgcu.org) (northportfl.gov) (content.govdelivery.com) The timing is deliberate: the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, but emergency agencies push households to prepare earlier because insurance, supplies and evacuation plans take time to line up. NOAA says storms can still form outside those dates. (blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov) Insurance is part of that early checklist because standard homeowners policies usually do not cover flood damage. FEMA and Ready.gov both say flood coverage is typically a separate policy. (fema.gov) (ready.gov) That matters in April because most new National Flood Insurance Program policies carry a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts. FEMA says homeowners and renters should not wait until a storm is in the forecast to buy a policy. (fema.gov) (ecfr.gov) Federal flood coverage also has limits that many homeowners do not realize until after a loss. FloodSmart says National Flood Insurance Program policies for homeowners cover up to $250,000 for the building and up to $100,000 for belongings. (floodsmart.gov) The practical message from these April events is simple: use the quiet weeks before June to check your plan, your route, your documents and your insurance. By the time the first watches and warnings appear, the deadlines and waiting periods are already running. (wpbf.com) (wgcu.org) (fema.gov)
